


Memories of Christmas Past

by Pokypup49



Series: A Normal Life [9]
Category: Uncharted (Video Games)
Genre: Baby Cassie - Freeform, F/M, Nate loves Christmas, Nate thinks back on Christmas, Young Nate, teen nate
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-12-30
Updated: 2017-12-30
Packaged: 2019-02-23 22:46:21
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,363
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13200162
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Pokypup49/pseuds/Pokypup49
Summary: Nate and Elena celebrate their first Christmas with baby Cassie and Nate thinks back on his previous Christmas memories





	Memories of Christmas Past

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Rando29](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rando29/gifts).



> I don't own Uncharted or any of the characters. I just imagine stories up with them in 'em
> 
> Dedicated to Rando29  
> Thanks for the idea. Sorry it's late.

                He looked down at the child, his child, in his arms. She was wrapped tightly, sucking contently on her binky, sleeping soundly. It had been a long day, for all three of them. There were intentions of perfections, holiday meals and gatherings of sorts. Though it didn’t seem to work out on Elena’s behalf, or to her expectations, it was still much a perfect holiday. And sitting there, reflecting on the day, he was sure Elena thought it was perfect too. He smiled at the sleeping baby. He could hear the Christmas Jazz playing in the background, his wife humming to the songs while doing the rest of the dishes behind him. His daughter, was still a little young to be enjoying Christmas or to remember it. He joked that she enjoyed the lights and the pureed veggies more than the presents. He smirked as he looked down at the couple baby toys on the floor. She had probably played more with the wrapping paper than the toys. But Elena and he had a good time. Unfortunately, Sam, his brother, and Sully, his makeshift father figure, had not made it for any of the planned events. They were, however, going to make it tomorrow so he’d forgive them. He couldn’t deny that having his family, his wife and his daughter, to himself that Christmas was all he really wanted. After all, this was Cassandra’s first Christmas and that made it even more special.

                This Christmas felt magical in some sense. The lights on the tree flickered calmly, seemingly giving off a sparkling wonder. He watched them as he thought back on how he’d gotten to this Christmas. He didn’t’ have Christmases. He remembered faintly being very young with his family, but he was young, and it wasn’t anything worth really remembering. When he was in the orphanage, being a Catholic institution, they celebrated Christmas, however, they were quick to emphasize the meaning of the holiday according to the church than gifts and games. He did remember gifts, small things like candy, but again, nothing so significant that would make him remember it as the most amazing Christmas as a child.

                In other thoughts, Christmas was bare and simple. If he wanted anything, he’d just steal it, and even then, what did he want with a robot or toy car? Thinking on the best gifts he’d received… there were only a few of them…. He looked down at Cassie as she shifted around _. Of course_ , he thought happily to himself. _You are my greatest gift_ …

                As Cassie settled, he leaned back, getting more comfortable in his chair. Christmas was, and wasn’t, a big deal to him. It was a big deal because he hadn’t had a proper Christmas on a regular basis, and the ones that he did have were a big deal and impactful. But the experiences he had as a younger child often gave him a sour taste of the holidays. Even as a child, though he had no need for it, he was still a boy and did want that robot or racecar. He smirked as he remembered. He knew even then how silly it was and that made it harder for a ten-year-old boy to do.

                He did remember how he and Sam had saved enough to go to a nice restaurant one year. That was a big deal and Nate chuckled to himself as he remembered how Same insisted on him being clean. They bought new shirts, clean pants, and had showered and washed just for this dinner. At the time, Nate thought it was silly, but looking back, it was enjoyable and memorable. Sam critiqued him the entire dinner, no elbows on the table, chew with your mouth closed, be respectful to the other guests around you… normal stuff that he normally didn’t do. And in the end, Nate thought the food tasted funny. That dinner was meaningful making the Christmas stand out and be special to him. He met Sully a little over a year later and that changed many things including Christmas.

                Sully, being a single man, did not go out of his way for Christmas, or any other holiday. And it wasn’t till Nathan was older when he realized what Victor Sullivan had done for him. Nate remembered being older, an established teen, and was working on perfecting his skills of trade. This was stealth and thievery, but he was working on these skills with the help of Sully. Sam had been thrown in jail just a week before Christmas and it had caused quite a bit of friction between everyone mostly because Sully refused to post bail or a bribe. That meant that Sam had to spend Christmas in jail. Nate remembered feeling very hurt and angry. But as an adult, it made more sense and he wished he would have listened to Sully more often when he was younger.

                “He’s caused enough trouble,” Nate remembered Sully saying. “There are consequences and if he’s going to be reckless and put others in danger, he can stay there for a few days.”

                Nate remembered how angry he was. But he was young, and mostly always angry at that age. He yelled back at Sully, but his stand-in father figure wouldn’t fight with him. He only responded, “Sam will be fine,” and that was it. When Sully left, telling Nate to stay put, Nate wanted to do anything but. He wanted to go and find a way to free his brother. He wanted to get away from Sully. He didn’t feel he needed him if he wasn’t going to free his brother like he’d done so many times before. But as teenager Nate angrily packed his back, he fell back against the wall in a set of tears. He had nowhere to go. He felt alone and helpless. He tried to rationalize anything in his head, thinking of the possibilities from this point on, and all of them scared him. As he kicked at his bag, he heard the front door open and shut. He glared at his bedroom door, expecting Sully to open it and tell him to quit being a crybaby, but instead heard dishes and silverware being fiddled with.

                He got up and wiped his face of the salty tears before walking into the kitchen to see some food on the table and Sully with plates in hand. “Come on,” Sully encouraged. It was a chicken, some potatoes, corn, bread… it was more than they normally had, but was nothing too special. “Eat up,” Sully told him gruffly. They didn’t really talk during dinner that Christmas, but Nate realized how much Sullivan did love him.  He cared enough to bring him food and make sure that he was taken care of. And when Nate had nowhere to go, it would be Sully who would always be there for him. They had very little, money, space, or supplies, but they had each other and it ended up being more to Nate than he realized at the time.

                Seeing that Cassie was asleep, Nate stood up and took her to her crib in her room. He walked softly up the stairs, each step as if he was walking on clouds. Cassie sucked on the binky every so often and even cooed but remained asleep. He placed her delicately in her crib and looked at her in complete satisfaction. He was so proud of her; so proud to be her father. As he sighed contently, he felt his wife’s hand on his back slide up to his shoulders and their bodies connect as Elena looked around him as her daughter.

                “Not all Christmases are going to be like this,” Elena smirked. “We better enjoy the time we have while we have it.”

                Nate chuckled as he turned to face his wife, holding on to her sides as he kissed her. Their kisses had gone from needy in the beginning of their relationship, to something more like a comforting song. It was natural and routine, something Nate never thought he’d have. As a young adult, older teen, he thrived in spontaneous environments. He was almost afraid of the idea of a routine life. Sam and him, joined with Sully, had begun to make their own mark in the smuggling and thieving industry. He was starting to figure out what he wanted for himself, and none of that included a home with a wife and a daughter.

                One year he had gone off on his own, dinking around with some idea with Flynn… yes… that douche nozzle. Nate frowned as he remembered. Granted, he was learning from Sully, the one man in the business who was famous for backstabbing his partners… Anyway, after the stunt, and the pot was split, Nate had found himself in Argentina. He sold his loot and made plans to meet up with Sam in Panama. After a night at the bar, spending his loot money, he met a lady and they started off nicely, ending with him going home with her. He didn’t even know it was Christmas. That’s how it was. When he woke next to her the next morning, she insisted on him staying for dinner, making him feel incredibly uncomfortable.

                His first Christmas with Elena was nothing of the sort. Though their first Christmas together was when they were newlyweds. Nate smirked as he remembered that one.

                “Are you tired?”

                Nate blinked, being broken from his thoughts.

                “Are you tired?” Elena asked again. “Because I thought we could…” She raised her eyebrows and a smirk, “celebrate this evening…”

                Nate grinned and followed his wife hand in hand back to their own room.

                He didn’t know that Elena was so fond of Christmas. However, she grew up with a family in a stable home and conditions, where Nate had never had that sense of comfort and security. He came home one day to a lit Christmas tree and a decorated apartment. He was amused, not dismissive, of the display and decided to accept it for what it was. He was trying to be a good husband, despite the recent string of fights that they had been having.

                She didn’t ask anything of him, making Nate a bit surprised. For the first time in maybe a month, they didn’t fight. They spent the next days cuddled, giggling, and kissing. It was new, compared to recent events, but it gave Nate the idea that his marriage may work, even if it was only for the holidays. He remembered how perfect it was. They’d curled up with each other under heavy blanket, even though it wasn’t that cold, and watched movies. They made cookies, and popcorn, and went to make caramel candies when there was a funny sound from the sink. Within 30 minutes, Nate looked down to see water all over the floor.

                Truth be told, Elena was devastated and rather upset. It was her apartment! But the landlord was quick to respond, even though it was Christmas night. The water was turned off and a restoration team was called in. Instead of fixing the small turkey Elena had planned, Nate packed their stuff up and they went out for Chinese. He had to say… it wasn’t that bad for Christmas dinner. They continued to giggle and snicker with each other. Then they snuck away to a hotel in town and ate the cookies and popcorn while watching movies. It wasn’t actually anything special, but it was. It was special because it was his first “real” Christmas. There was interaction, peace, and love the whole period. Even though it wasn’t a turkey dinner and a room full of family, it was still something that he never had and that made it real.

                As Elena and he held each other and kissed passionately under the sheets, he remembered how he missed this the most when he had left her. And on that Christmas without her, he could only think of her. Besides the first Christmas without his brother, it had to be the worst Christmas that he could remember. He buried himself in work, drank a little too much, and found himself angry over little things. He found himself in a dark mindset, drowning in his own regret and loss. Though that year was tough in general, that Christmas he felt empty and alone. Sully was more than patient with him to Nate’s surprise, and he still pushed his friend away in all of Sully’s attempts to be reasonable with him.

                So, in time, Nathan Drake went from not worrying about Christmas in general or fretting about having it if they couldn’t, to appreciating it in full. And he really had to thank Elena for it. And it wasn’t that Sully didn’t try. Sully and Nate did trade gifts from time to time, but it was never emphasized upon. With Elena, there were gifts, but there was also this idea of what Christmas was supposed to be. She made it feel complete. It was picture perfect in his head, them cuddled under blankets, eating sugar cookies, with the lights of the tree to light the room. If this was normalcy, he could learn to love Christmas.

                As Nathan laid in bed, his wife in his arms, his baby girl sleeping in the next room quietly, he felt complete. And maybe Christmas was always a part of him that he never knew. Elena ran her hand up his chest with a satisfying sigh and leaned into his warmth. He didn’t think that Christmas could be any more perfect than that moment, at that time. He was so happy that he met this special reporter off the shores in Panama, that he had survived Shamballa, and that he had reunited with Elena in Syria. He was happy that Elena took him back after lying to her so many times and running off with his brother who he never mentioned before. He had been and still is, incredibly lucky. He didn’t think he’d even consider himself so lucky if it wasn’t for Christmas. So now, as his eyes closed in complete satisfaction, he gave thanks for Christmas.

**Author's Note:**

> I know it's a bit after Christmas time, but I didn't have the time to finish it like I expected when I was celebrating with family. I hope it's not so boring. Let me know what you all think! Thanks Rando29 again for the idea. I hope you enjoyed it.


End file.
